13 hours ago
1
31 minutes ago
David DeansWales political reporter
BBC
Rhun ap Iorwerth says the Brynglas Tunnels are an "economic problem for Wales"
First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth has promised to find a solution to congestion along the M4 motorway and said it should be "roads-based".
The Plaid Cymru leader said the Brynglas Tunnels in Newport are an "economic problem for Wales" and that he will find a solution to tackle the traffic black spot.
But ap Iorwerth did not commit to a specific scheme in an interview with BBC Walescast.
The M4 relief road, also known as the black route, was a controversial project to build a new motorway across the Gwent levels south of Newport.
It would have bypassed the Brynglas Tunnels, which struggle to cope with the volume of traffic the M4 attracts at peak times.
IWA/CILT
Old proposals for a relief road included colour-coded black, blue, red and purple routes, with the yellow line marking the railway
Speaking at the Urdd Eisteddfod on Anglesey on Wednesday, ap Iorwerth said it had been Plaid policy for "many, many years" that something needed to be done to "unclog that Brynglas bottleneck".
Ap Iorwerth said options could include a proposal to strengthen the road network using the old A40, and the so-called blue route which would involve upgrading an existing dual carriageway through the south of Newport.
"What we need to do is do the work, and we will, to find the solutions," he said.
Former first minister Carwyn Jones was the last Welsh Labour leader to support the project, before it was ditched by his successor Mark Drakeford citing environmental grounds and costs.
Lewis Clarke
The Labour Welsh government axed a project to build a relief road south of Newport in 2019
"Something has to be done to improve the resilience of that Britannia crossing," he said, referring to the bridge which carries the A55.
"One answer is to have another structure next to it. Another one which I pushed for years is to have a sort-of three lane model."
Asked about the comment, ap Iorwerth said he stuck to his original target and denied the pair were saying different things.
But he said he will be "honest" if there are "blocks in the road" that stop the government moving as quickly as it wanted.
Ap Iorwerth said the benefits system should not be seen as a "bad thing"
The first minister also said benefits and the welfare system should not be talked about "as being a bad thing", after being asked if he was worried about how many people in Wales are on benefits.
Ap Iorwerth said: "We should be concerned about giving people the support to be in a place that they don't need that safety net.
"But there are people who will always need that safety net and it's only right that we look after them."
